Tired of pesky text messages? Forwarding SMS to a designated number is all it will take to initiate action against the telemarketer, according to a proposal by telecom regulator, which included a hefty penalty on unregistered telemarketers as well.

In a consultation paper, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has suggested that unregistered telemarketers sending unsolicited commercial communication be charged Rs 500 per message. After 10 such instances, the marketer’s phone connection will be disconnected. All that mobile users are required to do is forward the unwanted message to 1909 and action will be initiated against the errant SMS sender. Registering complaints over web and emails is also on the anvil.

The plan is to get access providers to block delivery of unsolicited SMSs that carry similar signatures and come from a number sending more than certain number of messages an hour. Banks, travel portals that send messages for transactions would have to hire registered telemarketers, Trai suggested.

Meanwhile telecom regulator is in consultations to lower the processing fee on prepaid recharge vouchers, so topping up could become cheaper for prepaid mobile users. Trai says operators are discriminating against those using recharge vouchers of Rs 10 or Rs 20, where talk time may be less than 70% of MRP.